Combined plant setting and fertilizing implement



Dec. 28, 1937. J, CA 'ER 2,103,710

COMBINED PLANT SETTING AND FERTILIZING IMPLEMENT Filed Aug. 18, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Job; J C'arn er v A ijiomeys Dec. 28, 1937. J. JQCARNER 2,103,710

COMBINED PLANT SETTING A D FERTILIZING IMPLEMENT Filed Aug. 18, 1936 ZSheets-Sheet 2 Inventor )gfafin JC'arner A itomeys- Patented Dec. 28, 1937 t UNITED STATES PATENT oFFiss COMBINED PLANT SETTING'AND FERTIIJZ- ING IMPLEMENT John J. Garner, Cloudcroft, N. Mex.

Application August 18, 1936, Serial No. 96,672

4 Claims. (Cl. 111-44) The present invention relates to agricultural operating mechanism for controlling the release implements and devices, and has reference in of the fertilizer. I particular to a unitary combination structure ex- Figure 3 is an enlarged'view, partly in section 5 pressl'y designed for penetrating the earth and and partly in elevation, detailing the valve mech- 5 simultaneously setting in the hole a. plant and a anism constituting the feature of importance predetermined supply of fertilizing compound or characterizing the fertilizer container and dematerial. livery means.

It is a matter of common knowledge that soil Figure 4 is a perspective view of the oscillatory in arid areas lacks the requisite properties of agitator used in the fertilizer container. 10

nutrition to properly aid the growth of plants Figure 5 is a detail view of the semi-conical such as cabbage, peas, beans, and the like. Under movable jaw or ground penetrating member. 'the circumstances it is the present policy to Referring now to the drawings by detail referfertillze each and every plant in order to comence characters, it will be observed that the open pensate for the deficiency in the natural soil. ended tubular cylinder is denoted by the numeral 15 Manure and, barn-yard fertilizer is not always t. This is provided at its upper end with a suitreadily available to the small farmer. Not only able hopper 1 to facilitate dropping the plant into this, when such fertilizers are used, under the the cy d 8 hat t W d sc d to t e Secpresent practice an undue quantity must be tional receiver at the bottom of the cylinder.

spread over the surface. It follows, therefore, This receiver functions not only as a trap for 20 that in view of these difficulties, I have perfected holding e D t and collecting the fertilizer. but a portable device to aid in setting plants and to constitutes a ground P et t u u e o p at the same time supply each plant with a pr mitthe desired successive results to be progresdetermined amount of proper fertilizing comsively a d e p di y accomplishedwfl be pound. I noted that said receiver comprises companion 25 In reducing the principles of the inventive ensemi-conical sections, one section 8 of which is ceptions to practice, I have adopted special fearigid x and the Other Section P v lly tures and an equally special coordination thereof mounted and swin e in t o t retd- T e whereby it is possible to accomplish the desired tWO ns me together in Pr di a D eresult in an eiiiclent manner and to at the trating p nt I!) to enter the ground and bore 30 same time accomplish desired-results with a xthe hole for reception of the plant I l. The mov penditure of little time and labor, Y able pivoted section 9; is provided with outstand- Briefly, the preferred embodiment of the ine a r ugs and p t n r ds I 2 are convvention comprises a e lmq which is in efleeg a nected thereto as indicated at l3. The rods are delivery h t for t l t t i being. provided of duplicate construction and located on dia- 35 I at its lower end with ground penetrating means, metrically opposite sides of the cylinder on the a d being provided (mime id t th fertilizer outside thereof and operate through suitable container, means being also associated with these guides h pp r nd f the rods terminatparts to properly control the planting a d ing in hand-grips I 5 located within the frame I 6 a '40 livery of-the fertilizer in predetermined charges. carrying the main handle or hand-grip 11, used 40 Other features and advantages will become for carrying as well as ground penetratingand more readily apparent from the following de- I thrust pu p se scription and drawings. Attention is now called to an operating lever or In the accompanying drawings, wherein like arm l8 rigidly connected at one end to the pivnumerals are employed to designate like parts oted or swingable jaw 9. Adjacent to this is a 45 throughout the views: suitable properly anchored return spring is, The Figure 1 is an elevational view of a plant placepurp 1' this level is to Operate e hanism ment and fertilizing device or implement conwhich controls the discharge of the fertilizer.

structed in accordance with the present inven- The fertilizer is contained in a tank or receptacle tion showing the plant ready to be placed in the 20 attached by a bracket 2| to one side of the 50 ground. cylinder. The tank is provided with a delivery Figure 21s a sectional view,'partly in elevation, spout or pipe 22 whichleads into the fixed jaw 8 based on Figure 1, and showing the movable as shown better in Figure 2. Mountedfor oscillaspade or jaw swung to open position to release tion in the bottom of the tank is a suitable wire the plant, and also. showing the position of the agitator 23 which is actuated by a rocker arm 55 24 having operating connection by way of a link or wire 25' to the aforementioned lever l8. Hence, as the jaw 9 is swung open and closed the agitator is moved to stir and loosen the fertilizer in thetank 23.

It is desirable to deliver a predetermined quantity of charge of the fertilizing compound down through the pipe or spout 22 each time a plant is placed or set in the ground. Two valves are employed in accomplishing this result. .The main valve may be described as a butterfly valve and this is denoted by the numeral 2R in Figure 3. It

-is a pivoted plate and serves to dufine above itself the charge containing and measuring pocket 21. The complemental valve, which is alternately operable, is a slide plate valve 28 and operates through a slot in the upper portion of the pocket 21. Thisis a cut-off valve and prevents the discharge of material from the hopper or tank 20 into'said pocket 21 when the valve 26 is open. The valves operate in unison, but alternately or successively to accomplish the desired result as is evident. For example, the butterfly valve 26 is.

operated by a crank arm 29 which is in turn operatively connected with the aforesaid lever l8 by way. of a .link 30. Then there is a diverging crank arm at 3| which connects with a link 32 which serves to actuate the valve operating arm 33. This is mounted on a suitable bracket 34 and has pivoted operating connectionrwit'h the slide plate valve 28.

In operation and practice it is understood that, as a general rule, two attendants will be required to satisfactorily perform the planting work. One attendant will carry and operate the ground penetrating setting and fertilizing device. The other attendant will handle the plant. When it is desired to set a cabbage plant or the like in the ground, it is evident that one of the said attendants drops the plant into the hopper 7 so that it gravitates through the chute-like cylinder 6 and lodges itself in the conical receiver composed of the jaw sections 8 and 9. The attendant operating the machine or device uses the handle I! as a means of forcing the-point Ill ofthe jaws into the ground, thus boring a hole for reception of the plant. As the device is lifted up, said attendant catches hold of the handle I 5 to simultaneously actuate the rod l2. In so doing the jaw 9 is swung open to allow the plant II to drop out into the hole. At the same time, the opening of the jaw 9 serves to operate the lever l8 which in turn actuates the link 30 and crankarm 29 to open the valve 26 to allow the charge of fertilizer to gravitate into the hole and around the plant.

At this same time the mechanism comprising thefeatures 3|, 32, and 33 closes the plate valve 28 and cuts ofi a further supply of fertilizer. Consequently, each charge of .fertllizer is successively dropped from the pocket 21 into the hole. It follows, also, that when the rods I2 arev released, the jaw 9 closes under the action of the springs l9 and this re-sets the valve, whereby the valve 26 swings to the closed position shown in Figure 3 and the valve 28 to the open-position to trap the next charge for subsequent delivery. While all of this is going on, it is evident that the agitator 23 is intermittently operated to loosen the fertflizer and to prevent clogging.

It is though that the description taken in connection with W the drawings will enable a clear understanding of the invention to be had. Therefore, a more lengthy desc iption is thought unnecessary.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that minor changes coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to if desired. z

I claim:

1. In a structure of the class described, a cylinder, a conical plant receiving and ground penetrating device at the lower end of said cylinder, and provided at its ground penetrating end with a movable closure member, means for moving the closure member to open position for releasing the plant, a fertilizer container attached to said cylinder, a gravity discharge delivery pipe having its inlet connected with said container and its outlet connected with the conical ground penetrating device, a pivoted butterfly valve in the v upper portion of said pipe adjacent the container, a slide plate valve above said first-named valve cooperating therewith in defining a measuring pocket and valve operating means connecting one of said valves with the means for moving the closure member whereby said valves are operated simultaneously with the movement of the closure member to open position.

2. In a structure of the class described, 3. cyl inder adapted to receive the plant, a conical ground penetrating device at the lower end of said cylinder embodying a relatively fixed semiconical section and a relatively movable semiconical companion section, a rod slidably mounted on said cylinder and connected with said movable section, a lever also connectedwith said movable section, a fertilizer tank supported on said cylinder, a delivery conduit leading down from.

said tank and connected with the fixed section of said conical device, a valve in said conduit and an operating connection between said valve and lever- 3. In a structure of the class described,.a cylinder adapted to receive the plant, a conical ground penetrating device at the lower end of said cylinder embodying a relatively fixed semi-- conical section and a relatively movable semi- 1 tion thereto, and an operating connection between said valves whereby they are simultaneously operated.-

. 4. As a component part of an assemblage of the class described, a receptacle constituting a container for fertilizer, means for mounting said receptacle on a plant setting implement, a gravity discharge fertilizer delivery conduit connected to thebottom of said receptacle, a pivoted butterfly valve in the upper portion of said conduit, a slide plate valve in said conduit above said first-named.

valve and defining therebetween a measuring pocket for the fertilizer, a crank arm cooperating with the butterfly valve, an operating arm for said slide valve, an operating connection between said crank arm and slide valve operating arm for causing said valves, when operated, to move in unison but to function oppositely for delivering a metered charge of fertilizer, and means for operating said butterfly valve.

JOHN J.CARNER. 

